May 29 (Bloomberg) -- Virginia Democrat Congressman Jim
Moran, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and General Ray
Odierno, the Army chief of staff, evacuated the West Lawn of the
U.S. Capitol Sunday night along with thousands of flag-waving
guests when a bad weather front forced the National Memorial Day
Concert to end early.

Production company Capital Concerts Inc. was able to cobble
together a show for PBS, which broadcasts the event live
nationwide, using the 30 minutes of performances that took
place, recorded material from the dress rehearsal and footage
from last year.

Actor Joe Mantegna of the CBS drama “Criminal Minds” co-hosted the show with Gary Sinise, an Oscar nominee for his
portrayal of Vietnam War amputee Lieutenant Dan in “Forrest
Gump.”

Mantegna brought along his uncle Willie Novelli, 89, a
World War II veteran. The actor explained during the rehearsal
that all of his uncles served in uniform.

“I was lucky they all came back,” he said.

Odierno talked to the show’s executive producer, Jerry
Colbert, and Army Sergeant Major Brent Jurgersen, who lost his
leg in Iraq. Jurgersen was with his Labrador retriever, Houston,
who is part of the Patriot Paws Service Dogs program.

“American Idol’s” Jessica Sanchez opened with the
National Anthem.

Natalie Cole, who was singing “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home”
when the show was stopped, said she has visited with troops in
Afghanistan and at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Her father, Nat King Cole, wanted to serve in the military,
she said, but was rejected for being flat-footed.

Killed in Combat

Before the show’s halt, actress Selma Blair read a letter
written by Brigette Cain to her late husband, Army Private First
Class Norman Cain III, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan
at age 22.

Blair, who sobbed during her reading, said that Cain’s
tragedy affected her “so much harder” because she herself has
a baby boy.

Cain attended the concert with her children and met Blair
and country singer Trace Adkins, who performed his patriotic
anthem “Til the Last Shot’s Fired.”

(Stephanie Green is a writer and photographer for Muse,
the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. Any opinions
expressed are her own.)

Muse highlights include Richard Vines on New York dining
and Catherine Hickley on travel.

To contact the writer on this story:
Stephanie Green in Washington at
sgreen57@bloomberg.net or
on Twitter @stephlgreen.